Handmade in Israel

The almond tree blossoms

2012-02-23T11:00:00.000+02:00

In Israel flowers bloom all year, in the cold and rainy season as well as in the burning heat of summer. Even the months of January and February provide us with, amongst other flowers, the beautiful red anemone which grows wild in some parts of the country. The anemone is called Calanit in Hebrew, from the word "Cala כלה" which means "bride". The Calanit supposedly earned its name because of its beauty and majesty, evoking a bride on her wedding day. January and February also see the almond tree, the first fruit tree in Israel to wake from its winter 'sleep', bearing its pinkish white blossoms on a naked, leafless stem.

We've had a very wet winter. The month of January saw the highest number of rainy days in one month on record. It's a good thing though. The rains have raised the water-level of the Kinneret (The Sea of Galilee), Israel's major reservoir of fresh water, which desperately needs to recoup its losses after a decade of drought. Of course the rain also helps the anemone and almond trees bloom.

We recently celebrated the holiday of Tu B'Shevat, the day that trees come of age according to Jewish law, and, as if by magic, the almond trees burst into flower just in time for the holiday. The almond tree doesn’t mind the cold of January and blooms incredible white flowers before the majority of other trees begin to bloom. Referred to in the Bible as the Shaked, meaning 'hasten', the almond tree, first planted in the country by the Jewish National Fund over 100 years ago and now found all over Israel, is a welcome reminder that spring is just around the corner. The pink and white flowers turn into leaves and finally give way to almonds in just a few months.

In between the rain we recently managed a quick trip to our local beauty spot and archaeological site, Titura Hill, which I have previously blogged about here. It was still a little early for the anemones or cyclamen but the aforementioned almond trees were just beginning to bloom and the kids and I had a wonderful time wandering along the paths, searching for interesting rocks, sticks and everything else that makes a trip into the countryside - even one literally on our doorstep - a lot of fun!

A Birthday Book

2012-02-19T19:01:00.001+02:00

My youngest son, the 9 year old, loves to write stories in English (he speaks both English and Hebrew) and even though I am his Mum and so am terribly biased, I think he has a real talent for it. A while back he decided that he was going to publish a book of his short stories. I am delighted that he has such grand aspirations and decided to make that dream come true for him as a special birthday present. I mentioned it briefly here.

After a little research on the internet I decided upon a company that prints books in the UK. I could have made the book here in Israel but since Hebrew books are read from right to left, I would have had to build my son's book backwards, which I imagined was a mistake waiting to happen! It took me a few hours to create the book, primarily because it involved a LOT of typing, but my graphic design skills came in handy and I found laying it all out a lot of fun.

I have kept my son's 'best' pieces from the last couple of years and have saved as many of the better drawings as possible. He draws all the time, using up a massive amount of paper, and sometimes is quick to discard the pictures that he feels do not quite reach the mark. The pictures that made it into the book were pretty much all met with approval. I tried to match them where possible to a story. When I didn't have a suitable drawing, I added a photograph of the birthday boy instead.

I used Albelli books and overall was very happy with the service, though it took some time for the book to be sent and for me to receive it. Shipping to Israel pretty much always comes under the 'worldwide' bracket and is therefore unnecessarily expensive. Fortunately my Dad was willing to help and knew to forward the book onto me as soon as it arrived at his address in the UK. He paid less than a third of the price that Albelli had quoted me, using the same packaging.

I made a hardback photobook and paid a little extra for a photo cover. My son was speechless when he saw his first book and it has been shown to anyone who is willing to spend a few moments looking at it, regardless of whether they speak English or not! I am not sure that his form teacher speaks a word of English but she seemed impressed all the same. His friends even asked him how many copies he had sold! Not many, but two more copies have been ordered for the proud Grandparents in the UK, and I see a second collection being 'published' within the next year or so. Look out for it.

* Want to take a look at the book? A link to the online version is here.

A Ketubah Scroll and a Blog Award

2012-02-16T17:29:00.001+02:00

A customer asked me for a card for a Jewish wedding. She showed me the invitation she had received but didn't necessarily want me to use it as the theme for the card and was happy for me to come up with something myself. I decided to create a card with some symbolic imagery but also matched the wedding invitation in a small way. The cream coloured card and the curvy hearts in the top left hand corner were the elements which matched the invitation.
In many Jewish weddings two candles are carried to escort the bride and groom to the wedding canopy, so I illustrated two candlesticks and a white canopy, or chuppah, on my card. The numerical value for the Hebrew word candle (nair) has the same value as the biblical phrase in Genesis "Be fruitful and multiply." The chuppah symbolises the new Jewish home that the couple create together.

Next to the candlesticks I included a Magen David (Shield of David, or as it is more commonly known, the Star of David). The Magen David is the symbol most commonly associated with Judaism today, and is supposed to represent the emblem on King David's shield.

On the right of the card you can see the Ketubah scroll. The Ketubah is a marriage contract that explains the basic material, conjugal and moral responsibilities of the husband to his wife. It is signed by the groom, as well as two witnesses, and given to the bride during the wedding ceremony. And before you all jump up and tell me how old fashioned it is that the contract is signed only by the groom, I must add that the purpose of the Ketubah is to protect the woman's rights during the marriage and in case she is divorced or widowed. Historically, the Ketubah marked a great leap forward in the thinking about the rights of women.

The last element of the design that I should explain is the silver cup. Actually two cups of wine are used in the wedding ceremony. The first cup accompanies the betrothal blessings, recited by the rabbi. After these are recited, the couple drinks from the cup. Wine, a symbol of joy in Jewish tradition, is associated with Kiddush, the sanctification prayer recited on the Sabbath and festivals. Marriage, called Kiddushin, is the sanctification of a man and woman to each other.

Moving on, I was recently bestowed with the Versatile Blogger Award by Annie of the wonderful blog Dough, Dirt & Dye. Thank you so much, Annie! It is always very nice to know that someone out there is reading and enjoying my blog possibly as much as I enjoy writing it. Annie's own blog is always a delight to visit. She is incredibly talented in the kitchen and I love reading her anecdotes and thoughts about the various happenings her life.
Receivers of the Versatile Blogger Award are asked to share seven facts about themselves, so here goes:

1) I am British-born but have lived in Israel for over 17 years.
2) I am lucky enough to have visited the Egyptian Pyramids and the Nabatean city of Petra.
3) I studied graphic design at Liverpool School of Art. Japanese tourists regularly stopped by to see the place where John Lennon studied.
4) My family and I only speak English at home, even though we live in Israel.
5) I am a vegetarian but regularly cook meat meals for my husband and sons.
6) I love spicy food but it really makes me sneeze!
7) I cannot sing in tune.

Now it is my turn to pass the award on to some of my fellow bloggers. Here's a real mix of some of my very favourites:

Now the torch is in your hands girls so, as Annie herself told me, "Go forth and be Versatile!"

Without you life sucks

2012-02-13T19:00:00.000+02:00

This card is not a Valentine card but rather one for an anniversary. However, the theme behind it is pretty romantic so I deemed it worthy to be my Valentine's Day post.

Last month I received an Etsy convo from a fellow seller telling me that she is crazy about the paper cut style of cards that I make. She wanted to have a special card made for her up-and-coming anniversary and had some very specific ideas about it which she clearly thought suited my style of work.

My customer had decided upon a card decorated both on the front and inside. On the front of the card there had to be a lemon cut in half with the words "Without you life sucks", and inside a couple sitting at a tiny table toasting with lemonade. I decided right away that this was something that would be fun to work on and we were soon exchanging messages to fine-tune the details.

Upon my request my customer sent me a picture of the "tiny table". Apparently the couple always sit at it to eat their anniversary dinner each year. She also stated that the couple did not have to look exactly like her and her partner but would love it if the girl had a ponytail and a white dress, and the guy was in a tan sweater. In terms of colour, she preferred something done in colours much like her Etsy shop - which I discovered leaned towards pastels - since she wants to frame the card and hang it in their office. She signed off with "I'm so excited. I can't wait to see what you come up with!" and so I set to work.

What do you think? Did I get it right? The card got to the US in excellent time and I'm pleased to report back that my customer was very happy with it. "It's more than perfect! she said, "I absolutely LOVE IT!". In my shop feedback she wrote that I had taken the picture in her head and made it even better. Wow!
I don't usually work to a design like this. More often than not I am left to my own devices and come up with the theme myself. However this was a really fun card to make and the feedback I received from it was wonderful. It can't get better than that can it?

Cookies, Cakes and Cards

2012-02-09T00:19:00.004+02:00

The other day my friend Katie e-mailed me with the recipe for Lorraine Pascale's Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. "They're really, really good" she told me, so I made a batch of them. After all, who needs convincing when it comes to cookies?*
I have a tendency when it comes to cookie recipes to leave them in the oven a little bit too long. I’m always sure they’re not done enough as they look so soft, which of course means that they generally come out and harden up far too much. With this recipe I followed the timings exactly and the end result was a plate of delicious chocolate chip cookies which disappeared way too quickly! They were quite chocolate brownie like, soft and chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The kids loved them and I'm not saying that I didn't polish off, ahem, one or two either!

Whilst we're on the subject of baking, this is the birthday cake I made for my youngest son not long ago. Doctor Who fans amongst you will recognise it as the Time Lords' Tardis, the 1960s-style London police box craft which transports its occupants to any point in time and any place in the universe. Youngest son is a huge Doctor Who fan and was thrilled with the cake, even if it was far from being one of my best efforts. I stuck nine candles in to it after the photo was taken.

Back to the cards. This design was the result of a request for a card for a 20 year old niece. Along with the big silver 20 on the card I decided that a glass of red wine, lipstick and nail polish were just about the essential items for a woman of that age. A few flowers and a pink heart finished it off nicely.

It was fun creating a card with the colour scheme I chose here. The oranges, yellows, pinks and purples were bright and cheerful, resulting in, what I hope was a pretty, 'happy' card.

A recent trip into Jerusalem saw me popping into a bigger-than-what-I-am-used-to craft store for a quick look around. Actually it was a very quick look around since the rather tolerant husband but more impatient sons were left standing outside the store! Inside the store I was in paper heaven and was happy to discover several packs of some glorious patterned paper, some of which I have used in the birthday card, above, that I made for my nephew. The nephew is an Arsenal supporter but I have made football-themed cards for him many, many times. The balloons came to the rescue once again and I was pretty happy with the result. I'm guessing that my nephew was more concerned with the Amazon vouchers inside the envelope than the card itself though...

* Lorraine Pascale's Big Yummy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 8 large American-style cookies

110g (4oz) butter, softened
200g (7oz) soft light brown sugar
1 egg
Seeds of 1 vanilla pod or 2 drops of vanilla extract
165g (5½oz) plain flour
Pinch of salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
30g (1¼oz) cocoa powder
100g (3¼oz) milk chocolate chips
100g (3¼oz) dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas Mark 5. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream together until combined. It does not need to be light and fluffy. I do this with my mixer but a hand whisk will do the job too. Stir in the egg and vanilla and mix well. It may look like it has curdled at this stage but not to worry. Give it a good whisk and it will come good. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder and mix until the dough looks uniform. The dough will be very stiff. Add the chocolate chips and mash everything in with a wooden spoon.
Divide the mixture into 8 balls and space about 10cm (4in) apart on the prepared baking tray. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will have a cracked top and will be very soft. Remove the cookies from the oven and leave to cool on the baking trays. They will quickly harden up as they cool.
Serve with the obligatory glass of ice-cold milk.

Scavenging around Jerusalem

2012-02-05T17:52:00.001+02:00

My usual Friday morning activities include cooking for Shabbat, perhaps a little shopping and there's always an errand or two to run. This last Friday morning my routine changed. This last Friday morning I was delighted to be invited to take part in a Jerusalem Scavenger Hunt for bloggers. Fortunately, after a week of rain and grey skies, the sun came out as we drove towards Jerusalem and, arriving at our designated meeting point in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City (in Hebrew known as HaRova Hayehudi or the Rova), I knew that I was in for a fun morning!

Tali Tarlow, the brains behind the Scavenger Hunts, believes that "there is so much to see and do in Jerusalem that the best way to “see and do” it is with your eyes, feet and hands, along with your hearts and souls!". She believes that the Scavenger Hunts are educational and fun for groups of all ages and I can say right now that I totally agree with her!

The twelve bloggers invited along to the hunt were divided into teams of four and given a pack which included a source book, a map, instruction booklet and notebook. We then set off to scavenge around places of interest in the Jewish Quarter, many of which, even after over 17 years living in Israel, I had never seen before.
Along the way we stopped to learn how a simple cleaner in a Beit Midrash (House of Learning) became a famous and revered Rosh Yeshiva (the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy) known as Rashash HaKadosh - almost overnight, and heard the heart wrenching tale of 10 year old Nissim Gini, wounded in the battle defending the Old City of Jerusalem on May 27th 1948 and who sadly became Israel's youngest victim killed in action. We saw some beautiful buildings and some yet to be restored, and learned the history of the Broad Wall, built by King Hezekiah (late eighth century BCE), through Rami, the owner of the Makolet (corner store), who’s shop lies just opposite the wall.

It took most of the bloggers about two hours of exploring to answer all the questions and find all the stations listed in our booklet. Okay, so I admit to being in the team which came in last! My husband laughed out loud when I told him so. He was sure that I had made my group read every sign and not leave any stone unturned, apparently as I do with my kids. Whoops!

The instruction booklet we had been given at the start of the hunt was incredibly clear and, though it really would have been quite hard to get lost, Tali was at the end of her mobile phone if we needed her. The tasks at each of the eleven stations in our hunt were suitable for all ages - great for school age kids and upwards, though perfect for our adult group too - and the route itself was very self-contained, making everything accessible to an older age group as well.

We knew we were running somewhat late when Tali called to see where we were. Unfortunately that meant rushing our last two stations a little because we knew that the rest of the group were waiting for us at the final stop, Batei Machse Square, in front of the Rothschild House (financed by Baron de Rothschild to house the influx of Eastern European refugees in 1871). Tali and Jeremy, our guides for the morning, were there to meet us and to answer any of our questions. Tali reassured us that time was not important, that she was delighted we had not felt the need to rush.

The morning's activities closed with a short talk from our guides about the places we had visited and a brief history of the area. We'd all had a fantastic time and enjoyed meeting some new friends as well. Personally I cannot wait to take my own kids - and Grandpa too - on a Jerusalem Scavenger Hunt. I know that the kids will learn so much from the experience, without it being a "boring tour" (their words, not mine!), and they're sure to have a lot of fun along the way.

The Boys Are Back In Town

2012-02-02T15:00:00.000+02:00

I have made a bunch of cards for boys recently. First up was a request for an 11 year old in India who visited the Taj Mahal on his birthday (lucky him!), so I was asked to feature it prominently on his card. His parents also felt that the young man had been working really hard at school and on his many school projects lately, thus a laptop with PowerPoint displayed on it and some drawing and crafting items were added. His Mum also mentioned that he loves to eat orange ice lollies all day long, so I popped one in to the birthday boy's hand. Brrr! I hope it's a little warmer where he is, since I personally wouldn't like to be eating ice lollies in the horrible weather we have today!

This 8 year old is a big Playmobil fan and also loves to draw buildings - perhaps he's a budding architect? His Mum asked me for a card along those lines but one that also had a strong birthday theme. I already know that she likes birthday cakes on cards, so a big one with blue icing was baked... er, I mean cut out, with the appropriate amount of birthday candles on it. My own boys love Playmobil too, so it was easy for me to create a paper one, with the character's stiff little arms sticking out, just like the real ones do!

I started with a card for an 11 year old and seem to be counting down in age. This hebrew card was made for a 7 year old football fan (there had to be one amongst this collection, didn't there?). This time it was Grandma who ordered the card and no particular team was mentioned, so I went with a general football theme, creating some paper boots, a ball and a big gold trophy. I hope whichever team the young man supports, that they indeed win the cup one day.

Finally, this is an old design of mine but still one that makes me smile. I just love the clown's bright red nose. The theme was left open for this card - I was simply asked for a card for a 5 year old boy - so I deemed a cheerful clown appropriate and crafted him in blues and greens.

Valentine Birds

2012-01-30T15:00:00.000+02:00

Welcome to the Etsy Greetings Valentine Blog Hop! The hop starts at the team blog, where you'll find a complete list of participating blogs. Start there or jump right in here and use the red arrows at the end of this post to navigate to other participating blogs!

For this hop we were asked to pair a Valentine card from our own shop with a gift item from anywhere on Etsy. The decision was pretty easy for me. I have a favourite card in my shop which is perfect for Valentine's Day, an anniversary, birthday or just to tell someone how much you care. Looking through my favourites on Etsy (when you find an item or shop on Etsy that you love, you can bookmark it by adding it to your Favourites. This is also referred to as "hearting" an item or shop.) the perfect gift to go with my card jumped right out at me - Abigail Brown's Pink Fabric Bird.

I have been waiting from my husband to discover my Etsy Favourites for quite some time now. I have hinted several times that it is THE place to find my very favourite things, the things I most desire, but it is falling on deaf ears for the moment! In the meantime, I remain passionate about Abigail's exquisite birds and think that this little pink bird is the perfect partner for my card.

Abigail studied for a BA in Surface Decoration and Printed Textiles and since that time has worked as a designer and illustrator of children's books, children's wear, stationery, and greeting cards. As a child she spent a great deal of time with her grandma, an incredibly talented seamstress, and now says that there is nothing more natural to her than to work with fabric, using it to give life to the little creatures that form in her mind.
Abigail's little bird is not based on any specific species but is rather just a pretty little bird with a great deal of appeal. She - I rather think she is a girl - is crafted entirely by hand, layered with different coloured textured and patterned fabrics and embellished with tiny hand stitches to replicate feathers. She stands alone on wire legs and measures around 13cm in height.

My rather girly card was originally created for a friend's birthday and I thoroughly enjoyed going a little overboard crafting a sweet little bird, flowers and balloons in a pretty colour scheme of pinks, lemons and turquoises. I was rather pleased with the result and decided to recreate it and pop it into my shop. It is one of my larger cards, measuring 15cm x 20cm folded and, though perfect for Valentine's Day, I have left it without a greeting so that it can be used for any occasion*.

I have made it clear from this post that I would dearly love that little bird for myself! Unfortunately that is not likely to happen but I am sure that there are many bird lovers out there who would love to own such an exquisitely crafted piece, handmade in Abigail's studio in London. My own card is of course handmade in my workspace here in Israel but in my dreams our two birds could perhaps fly off and meet up halfway. Israel, located at the junction of three continents, is crossed by migrating birds on a scale unparallelled anywhere. About 500 million birds cross Israel's narrow airspace twice every year in the course of their migrations and consequently Israel has become an attraction for bird enthusiasts worldwide. I dare say that one of those enthusiasts would appreciate these little pink birds as much as I do!

* If you wish to purchase the card from my shop and would like me to customise it with a particular name or greeting, simply let me know by e-mail or Etsy convo.

Coming to Light

2012-01-25T14:43:00.001+02:00

Some time ago I read an online article about the origami exhibition Yotze la-Or (“yotze la-or” means both “coming to light” and “published” in Hebrew). The paper lanterns shown looked amazing and so I was excited to take a morning away from my own paper crafting to view the exhibition at a small gallery in nearby Holon.

I discovered that the artist whose creations I found so inspiring was Ilan Garibi, a retired Israeli Defence Forces officer. The articIe I read about the exhibition stated that whilst in the IDF Ilan would motivate his soldiers to get up early with the promise of origami lessons. He now makes a living from origami, sometimes collaborating with well known origami artists Miri Golan and Paul Jackson. After 30 years of following patterns, he has been creating his own elaborate patterns since 1998, all within the restrictions of the pure origami rules - no glue, no cuts, just folds and creases.

This exhibition focuses on Ilan's lighting fixtures made of Japanese paper. The artist uses a unique origami technique known as tessellation. A tessellation - also called tiling - is when shapes are arranged side by side to produce a pattern with no gaps in between. Tessellations have existed since ancient Egyptian times and are still common today in floor and wall tilings. In origami tessellations are used to connect elements together in a repeating fashion. Origami tessellations can be regular (triangles, hexagons) or irregular (parallelograms, trapezoids). They are all periodic (repeating pattern).
Ilan Garibi's designs - mostly complex geometric patterns - produce some stunning pieces. A friend and I went to the exhibition together. She is a talented papercut artist herself and we both spent quite some time marvelling at his work, simply trying to figure out just how each piece had been created from just one sheet of paper, folded over and over again to create some truly breathtaking art.

The artist has, in his own words, "a sense of precision I inherited from my (his) father". All the folds in his pieces are made by hand, without the help of a ruler or any mechanical aid.
To see more pictures of Ilan Garibi's remarkable work, take a look at his website.

Nine

2012-01-19T11:30:00.000+02:00

We had an early start this morning. I crawled out of bed when it was still dark to make sandwiches and get the boys' school bags ready early. Why? Because my youngest son turned 9 today and we had presents to open and cake to eat of course! There was a special card from Mummy too. My eldest son had been begging to see it for several days but I kept it well hidden. Both boys have learned to expect them and anxiously wait to see how I have portrayed them that year. This year's card seems to have been a big hit!

My son is a creative little guy. He loves to draw and has written some great short stories. He reads and reads and reads as well. Inside his special birthday card I wrote "Keep drawing. Keep writing. Keep reading. But please stop chewing your pencils and please stop spilling your food!!!". You see, with the creativeness comes a messy personality! There isn't a pencil in the house which has not been gnawed (any tips on how to get him to stop would be very much appreciated!) and he is forever spilling food on his clothes. Not everything is rosy! However, I love that he appreciates art and craft and so we'll not worry about the chewed pencils and ruined clothes for today!

So, how does the birthday boy look on his card? Well, I have shown him wearing his absolute favourite piece of clothing - his "leather" jacket which make him look so cool! He has his bullet necklace - purchased with his pocket money at The Ayalon Institute clandestine bullet factory some time ago - round his neck, and has a book in one hand and the aforementioned chewed pencil in the other. In front of him is one of his better drawings, a Doctor Who one, which I scanned and rotated a little so that it looks like he is working on it. My son thought that was great! A big orange number 9 declares his age and a favourite toy, Cookie the hamster, is perched on top of it. Finally I added some coloured Lego blocks - another favourite activity - and a big pile of books to the picture. I think it all just about sums him up!

My son's passion for creating means that he very much appreciated the couple of homemade gifts I made for him. He was fascinated when I sewed this little cross stitch, so I made him one for his room too. This one was a counted needlepoint kit and I am happy to report that, even though his bedroom walls are covered with scary looking Doctor Who posters, he seems excited to add this little cat picture to his collection. I put together his very own book as well, full of his own stories and illustrations, but am going to save that for another post.
And what's a birthday without cake? Happy Birthday to my crafty and creative 9 year old. I can't wait for your sleepover next week...

* If you would like to see some of his previous birthday cards, click here, here and here.

Family is Everything

2012-01-15T22:37:00.001+02:00

It has to be said that most of the enquiries I receive about my cards are from women. Mums, Grandmas and Aunties. I get the occasional call - usually quite last minute - from a husband, and even more occasionally, from a Grandpa. I don't often receive requests for cards from kids, but in this case a gorgeous 11 year old girl who knows that her Mum loves my cards, wanted to order one for her Mum's birthday! I was totally taken aback by this young lady's somewhat rushed call - she was using Mum's mobile to call me since, I am guessing, she knew the number was in there - but she knew what she wanted and gave me enough information to create a card according to her requirements.

My young customer asked me to show her Mum and her children on the card (above). She was also quite specific that Mum's age had to be on there. Other than that, I know the kids and had anyway made a birthday card for the eldest daughter not long ago, so was quite up to date with their various 'looks'. I knew that the youngest daughter had to have her hair in two cuckoos (in Hebrew 'cuckoo' means ponytail) and that the eldest daughter has some much loved white hoop earrings. The son is a good friend of my youngest son, so that was easy - I see him a lot - and the card came together easily enough and was soon delivered to the young lady at school. Unfortunately, as kids do, the boy let the secret out right at the very end of the whole process, but Mum was thrilled that her kids had gone to such great efforts anyway and did not let on. They even organised a surprise party for her, complete with a special dance show. What great kids! I was so impressed by their kindness.

Whilst I'm on the subject of kindness, I want to show you how wonderfully kind Stephanie of Stelie Designs was to me! Stephanie and I are teammates on the Etsy Greetings team and not long ago she announced to the team that she was running a giveaway on her blog. It was Thanksgiving and Stephanie wanted to know what we were all most thankful for. As a prize, she was giving away a personalised custom family tree print. The 8x10 image, printed on white recycled cardstock, declares "Our family is everything" and shows several trees, each with the name of a family member, along with the date the family was established, on it. Guess who was the winner? Me!!!

I received my beautiful print in the mail a few days ago. It has 4 trees on it (representing the 4 members of my family) and is inscribed with all our names and the date my husband and I were married. My photo of it, above, really does not do it justice. (Sorry Stephanie but we're right in the middle of some pretty grey days over here). This is certainly a piece of art that I am going to treasure for a long time to come.
And my answer to Stephanie's question, well here goes: "Apart from being thankful for my family of course, I am thankful for being able to live in this wonderful, beautiful country that I chose to make my home. I love it here!"

101 Not Out

2012-01-11T19:24:00.000+02:00

Not long ago I received a phone call requesting an 80th birthday card. My customer initially did not know what kind of image he wanted on the card but, after some prompting, it soon emerged that this was a card that was travelling a long way, to Australia to be exact. It seems that 'Joe', the birthday boy, used to play cricket in his younger days, and was a politician and a retired lawyer to boot! I had more than enough to work with and, after seeing a snapshot of the celebrant, was able to put together an image of him in his cricket whites, bat in hand, with the score board not actually declaring the results of the match but rather his age. The blue background is the colour of the Australian flag and I included a 'Vote Joe' badge, which he may or may not have used in his political days. The black law book represents his career.

My customer seemed delighted with the card and actually posted the following message to our city's e-mail list:

"Lisa Isaacs has just made a birthday card for us. We gave details of the career/hobbies and interests of the recipient and she has made a really amusing card, incorporating these details, thereby making a really personalised card. Lisa has made several cards for us in the past and we've always been delighted with the results."

How nice was that?

My kids were blown away simply by the number on this birthday card and frankly so was I! After all, how many times have I been asked to make a card for a 101 year old? Just the once actually! Last year I made this special centenarian a card acknowledging her talent for watercolour painting, a hobby which she has apparently recently taken up again! This year I focused on her incredible age, embellishing the design with a few colourful flowers. As I wrote last year, "ad meah viesrim", (until 120).

Lastly, the card above was also a request for a pretty incredible occasion. A friend's grandparents were celebrating 70 years of marriage. Such an amazing achievement! I was asked to make a card for them but my friend was concerned that, at the couple's respective ages, any hobbies were a thing of the past. Not a problem! I created little paper portraits of the couple and added a big 70 and a couple of champagne glasses to the design.

How wonderful to be creating cards for such monumental occasions!

Ammunition Hill

2012-01-05T19:00:00.000+02:00

One of the most successful - and definitely the most meaningful - outings we made during the recent Chanukah break was to Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem. Ammunition Hill (the hill where the British stored ammunition during the Mandate Period) was the name given to a former Jordanian military post that was taken by IDF (Israel Defence Forces) paratroopers in a landmark battle during the 1967 Six Day War. It became a national Heritage and Memorial Site, with a museum dedicated to the liberation of Jerusalem in that war and to the 182 Israeli soldiers who lost their lives in the battles for Jerusalem and her surroundings.

The boys have reached an age where we are comfortable taking them to these places, which I suspect they find both fascinating and also a little scary. After all, they will both one day serve in the IDF themselves, since in Israel military service is compulsory. They are still young enough to enjoy the whole soldier/battle thing though and my youngest thoroughly enjoyed climbing through the well preserved trenches and bunkers at the site, an empty Uzi, lent to him by one of the female soldiers working at the museum, in hand.
Ammunition Hill (in Hebrew Givat Hatachmoshet) lies between the modern Jerusalem neighbourhoods of Ramat Eshkol and French Hill. The site is preserved as it was in the war and includes a museum that commemorates the soldiers who fell in the battle, as well as a rousing film which explains the stages of the battle of the three brigades, the Air Force and the Central Command, who liberated Jerusalem. Standing in the winter sunshine, beautiful views surrounding us, it was really quite hard to believe that this place had once been conquered by the Jordanians and cut off from Israel.

Today Ammunition Hill houses the main Jerusalem induction centre for new IDF recruits. When my sons were born the possibility that they might not need to serve in the IDF was there. It was tiny, but it was there. Now it is more than unlikely. One day they will be soldiers, but, in the meantime, on this beautiful winter's day, we were happy for them to pretend and to learn a little about the history of the country they are lucky enough to live in.

Tali's Album

2012-01-02T17:50:00.001+02:00

Happy 2012 everyone! I hope you all had a fun time. Sadly New Year's Eve is not a big holiday here in Israel, specifically because the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) actually falls in autumn, a few months previously. However, as a family we didn't let it go unnoticed and we had a nice evening at home, watching a film together, eating popcorn and viewing the fireworks in Australia and around the world on the television.

Anyway... what have I got to show you for my first post of 2012? A colourful album I recently made for a young lady celebrating her Bat Mitzvah in London.

This young lady had actually seen one of my albums at the recent Bat Mitzvah celebration of one of her good friends and subsequently requested one of her own. There was a small communication problem - a case of e-mails not reaching me - so the album was quite last minute, though not so last minute that I wasn't able to give it my usual great attention to detail!

I learnt that this Bat Mitzvah girl likes reading, baking cakes, making models, art, sewing, debating and singing and that her favourite colour is turquoise. Phew! That was a long list! She also asked me to include her Junior and Secondary School badges in the album.

After several e-mails back and forth it was decided that I should show the young lady reading, baking and crafting on the cover of the album, whilst her many other remaining interests would go inside. I also added her name, in both English and Hebrew, along with the name and date of the Bat Mitzvah celebration itself.

Inside I decorated some of the album pages with (clockwise from top left) a little illustration of the Bat Mitzvah girl chatting (her request!), the aforementioned school badges, music notes to represent her love of singing, and some little wooden houses, a bridge and some animals since she is a keen model maker. She's obviously a crafty girl since she loves sewing too (above).
The album orders are coming in fast at the moment! I have two more to create in the near future. I love designing them and it's always fun to 'get to know' these kids in a very small way. As the Hebrew expression goes, Rak B'smachot - “Only on joyous occasions". Happy New Year!

A Pint in The Queen Vic

2011-12-28T22:06:00.000+02:00

When I lived in the UK, watching the Christmas Day edition of the soap opera Eastenders was a big thing. From what I hear, the program is still pretty popular - I was more of a Brookside girl myself - and therefore I am sure that this lady, who recently celebrated her birthday, was eagerly awaiting the Christmas Day program. Her husband asked me to make a special card for her birthday and said that this year's theme HAD to be Eastenders. I get the impression that she's pretty keen on the soap opera and the residents of Albert Square!
I have shown the birthday girl - who is indeed as slim as I have shown her - with a celebratory glass of wine in hand, in front of the Eastenders map and signs for The Queen Vic Pub and Albert Square. There are a couple of pints nearby. Whenever I have seen the soap opera, the main characters always seem to be in the Queen Vic, supping a pint or two! I took a guess that our birthday girl probably prefers a nice glass of red to a pint.

A regular customer of mine required a card for a 50th birthday (above). I was asked to show a lady with short black hair and blue eyes, surrounded by her four children. She is a caterer, so a peeler, knives, pots and pans were the order of the day. My customer sent me a photo of the family and I was able to try and match their various 'looks'. I am not sure that I have created exact portraits but hope that the birthday girl enjoyed the card all the same!

This card was an order from a new customer. She was looking for a special card for her daughter's forthcoming 40th birthday and had been told by a friend that I could make a customised one for her. She wanted a card that would illustrate her daughter's interest in make-up artistry. With such a straightforward brief it was simple to come up with an image showing various types of make-up: brushes, lipsticks, eyeshadow and a couple bottles of nail varnish too.

In a few days time we will be celebrating the start of a new year. Once again, many, many thanks to those of you who have visited my blog this the year. I have enjoyed composing each and every one of my posts, and am always delighted with the encouraging comments and support that I receive. I wish you all a very Happy New Year and a safe and exciting start to 2012.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-24T20:00:00.000+02:00

Chanukah is turning out pretty well. The hubby is at work (it's not a holiday which requires time off) but the kids are home from school and we don't have too much planned for a change. Aside from lighting the candles each evening and dealing out small gifts to the kids, we've been eating well - Chanukah is the best holiday for food - sleeping quite late and I have a couple of interesting activities lined up for next week, but not too many!

Chanukah celebrates the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days when a small group of Jews called Maccabees rededicated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after their victory over the Greek Syrians. Fried foods like latkes (potato pancakes) and jam-filled doughnuts are traditional treats because they are cooked in oil and remind us of the miracle of the holiday. Thus, the first night of the holiday saw me making some of the aforementioned latkes. They were a great success!

We celebrate the holiday for eight days altogether. This year Chanukah overlaps with Christmas so, all that remains is for me to wish you Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Best wishes from Israel,
Lisa x

Sufganiyot (doughnuts) for sale at my local shopping mall (above).

Jade's Bat Mitzvah

2011-12-20T15:30:00.000+02:00

The reason we were in London just now - two weeks before the kids broke up from school for the Chanukah holidays, and not actually during the school holidays - was to celebrate our niece's Bat Mitzvah. December 10th was the date that had been chosen to celebrate it on, so that was the date we were there! I hinted in a previous post that there was another creation to show you, aside from the artwork I made for her invitations and here it is. A customised album of course!

After a little discussion, it was decided that the cover of the album should show the same image as her invitations, which I have already blogged about here. I rarely repeat a design in this way, so it was a little strange for me to be re-drawing everything again, using the very same papers and colours. I changed the wording slightly on the album to include the date of her Bat Mitzvah ceremony in the synagogue, her name and the words Bat Mitzvah in Hebrew.

My sister-in-law gave me a few more themes to work with for the inside pages. I had already included my niece's love of reading, fashion design, drawing and facebooking on her iPod Touch on the cover. Along with these interests, I learnt that she loves sushi (don't we all?), drinking hot chocolate and reading a particular style magazine. I added her High School badge too.

When we arrived in London I was thrilled to discover that my sister and brother in law had used my artwork on several things. I was shown the postcard sized thank you cards and the benchers. (Bencher is the most common word used for the Jewish book of Grace after Meals. The word Bencher originates from the Yiddish language. Literally translated the word bencher means "Blesser".)

The Bat Mitzvah party had a purple theme - purple had been suggested for my niece's t-shirt when I had asked what her favourite colour was - and my design blended in beautifully! You can see the postcards being used as table decorations, below, and the Grace after Meals booklets in the background.
My brother in law thanked me for my artwork in his short speech and I am happy to say that I received many, many compliments throughout the evening.

* Tonight we light the first candle on our Chanukiah, the nine-branched candelabra which is used during the festival of Chanukah, and the eight-day holiday, the Festival of Lights, will begin. I recently wrote all about the holiday here. Please hop on over and learn a little bit about Chanukah and the reasons why the Jewish people celebrate it.

London Bound

2011-12-15T10:25:00.001+02:00

So our whirlwind five day trip to the UK has been and gone. The kids are back in school for a few more days until the Chanukah break begins and everything is pretty much back to normal. We have lots of great memories though - we squeezed a lot into those precious few days!

After a little shopping for us, a theatre trip for the kids and the obligatory fish and chips meal out, one of our first stops was at Wembley National Stadium. My oldest son is a huge football fan and, while his younger brother and Dad hopped off to visit The Doctor Who Experience at Olympia (such is life when you have two boys!), we toured that special stadium and viewed some sacred shirts in the changing rooms.

The hubby and I treated ourselves to a show and saw the very wonderful Backbeat, the story of how the Beatles ‘became’ the Beatles – when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe embarked on their journey from the docks of Liverpool to search for success in the seedy red light district of Hamburg. It was one of the most incredible two hours of West End theatre I have ever sat (and danced) through, helped somewhat by the cocktails we had treated ourselves to before the performance began. The kids were at home having fun with their cousins. It's nice to be grown-up once in a while!

We toured 'Eccentric London' on a delightful walking tour, spotting some odd things and quite unexpected delights along the way. Our guide showed us the alleyway now made famous as Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films. We learned the mystery of the lions' paws in Trafalgar Square and heard the rather gory history of a bookshop near Leicester Square. I am not a native Londoner myself but the hubby is and he declared that he had learnt a great deal in those two hours about places he had passed many, many times in his life.

The kids were complaining about the cold - it was very cold - but we had yet more to show them. Christmas completely passes us by here in Israel, and especially in the Jewish city that we live in, so we wanted to show them a little bit of what all the excitement is about. Crossing the Hungerford Bridge to the South Bank, we spent some time wandering around a traditional Christmas market along the side of the River Thames. Listening to the carols and eyeing up all the beautiful decorations in the German style wooden chalets was so much fun. We even purchased a small packet of hot roasted chestnuts which the hubby remembered his Dad roasting on a fire when he was a child. They were wonderful!

The weekend was spent celebrating my niece's Bat Mitzvah. I will show you her album in my next post. She performed brilliantly in the synagogue on the Sabbath and we all had a blast at the celebratory party on Sunday evening. And then it was time to come home. We were up early on Monday morning, ready for that flight back to Israel, all a little bleary eyed and sad to leave. It was such a great trip though and maybe, just maybe, everything worked out so well because we had to squeeze so much into a very short time. Even the rain held off until the very last evening. Did I tell you how cold it was though? Brrrrr!

A Flying Visit

2011-12-04T19:00:00.000+02:00

This time next week we will be in England. Well, actually this time next week we will be preparing for our journey back to Israel! We are going for a somewhat 'flying visit' you see, to celebrate my niece's Bat Mitzvah. The kids are in school and there is always plenty going on, but it was important for us all to go and mark the occasion with the young lady and all our family.

Of course, the forthcoming celebration required some invitations and other items and I was delighted when my niece decided that she wanted me to design them for her. She requested one of my 'portraits' and, after a short discussion, I was able to put together some artwork for her. Obviously I know my niece pretty well but still wanted to check with her what she wanted me to feature on her invitation. I remember how quickly the interests can change when you're 12 years old! I was told she likes reading, fashion design, drawing and facebooking on her iPod Touch. When deciding on colour, a green - or jade - background - was the obvious choice because of her name.

Several weeks passed and I was thrilled to see the invitations when they landed in our letterbox. My brother-in-law - a creative guy himself - had my artwork and lettering skilfully scanned so that the figure and surrounding artwork 'popped' almost as if each one had been hand cut, as is my usual way of working. Most importantly, I heard that my niece "loves it" and, since I know that the image will be used on other items over the course of the weekend celebrations, I am very happy to have played my part!

Of course there was another important item needed and so the scalpel and scissors came out again. The above picture is just a sneak peek though. I am going to save the rest for another post, after we have been on our travels and my niece has seen what I created. See you in a week or so!

The Golden Rule

2011-12-01T10:48:00.001+02:00

Winter has definitely arrived here now, though when all is said and done, Israeli winters are pretty mild. To warm us all up a little bit, I've got a post full of 'golden' images, starting with these Golden Wedding Anniversary cards I recently made for a customer to send to family in the UK.

I am big fan of the Attic 24 blog. Though I do not crochet, I adore the colours and designs she works with and definitely love her cheerful attitude to life. Added to this, she happens to live in the north east of England, where I hail from, so all in all, her blog is a regular stop-off point for me. Quite some time ago Lucy posted a recipe for Cheesy Nibbles, an after school 'snackette', as she called them, for her kids. They sounded delicious and really simple to make, so I too threw the ingredients together, adding some corn kernels into the mix as one commenter suggested, and Lucy's totally right, they were good!

Just as in previous years the orange tree in our front garden is doing great! Without too much care and attention the tree has produced a lot of beautiful, juicy fruit for us this year. My eldest son is taking an orange to school with him almost every day and they're proving to be great desserts too. Anyone else got kids who insist on 'dessert' after nearly everything they eat?

The leaves are coming down too. Well, truthfully these leaves came down ages ago. My youngest son made this mobile at school and it is now hanging in the back garden, drying out even more but also getting a little bit wet along the way! I love the colours and appreciate most things collected and hand made in his teva (the Hebrew word for nature) class. Wish I'd had a nature class when I was at school!

A Weekend in Tel Aviv

2011-11-28T14:28:00.001+02:00

My Dad came for a visit not long ago and took us all for a weekend stay in Tel Aviv, Israel's second largest city (after Jerusalem). Tel Aviv is the country's business and cultural centre. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and the Diamond Exchange are based in the city and, for the arts, the Habima National Theatre is excellent and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is world-class. The city also boasts several impressive museums. Arguably, Tel Aviv is where the action is. Tel Aviv can be proud of some great beaches and promenades, nightclubs, plentiful shopping and appetising restaurants and outdoor cafes. On this occasion though we were accompanied by older family members and friends and, with the kids in tow, we were really just looking for some quality time with Grandpa.

We strolled through the open-air market off Rehov HaCarmel, purchasing delicious baklava for our afternoon tea. It had been raining earlier in the day and the market was close to closing. Things were being sold off cheaply and the vendors were in full voice, attempting to clear their stalls before the Sabbath.

After a delicious but rather large evening meal, I took time to myself the following morning to explore one of Tel Aviv's prettiest districts, Neve Tzedek. The first Jewish neighbourhood to be built outside the walls of the ancient port of Jaffa, Neve Tzedek (meaning Oasis of Justice) is the perfect place to stroll around on a lazy afternoon - or in my case, morning - to escape the hustle and bustle of uptown Tel Aviv.

Neve Tzedek's narrow streets are home to some beautiful and original houses, many restored to full glory. The original buildings display features that can be traced to the Bauhaus architecture of pre-Nazi Germany and the Art Nouveau movement. The Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre, Israel's premier dance centre, located in the heart of Neve Tzedek, is a prime example of a beautifully restored building constructed in the Bauhaus style.

One cannot visit Tel Aviv without going to the beach... that's what my kids say! Technically the beach season is over but that didn't stop them! Grandpa deemed it too cold to sit there for long but the hubby and I endured several hours in the breeze, watching the boys build the most fantastic structure, which received many admiring glances from passers-by. On reflection, I do wonder if they were admiring - or mocking - our ability to sit out in the cool air for so long, rather than the sand castle building that was going on. Well, at least it wasn't raining...

Four Sons

2011-11-24T14:56:00.001+02:00

A good friend of mine recently had a baby - her FOURTH boy!!! I knew that she already had plenty of boy clothing and toys but anyway wanted to send her something really special as a gift. My friend always orders birthday cards for her family and so I already knew that she was quite keen on my work. It's always a little scary giving someone something you have made just in case they don't really like or appreciate your work, but I felt confident that my friend would be happy with my choices and so set to work on a papercut picture for her baby son's room.

The customised picture, measuring 20cm x 20cm, shows the new baby in all his glory! He is surrounded by his three brothers and Mum and Dad too. I added a few little boy items to the artwork as well - a ball, baby onesie, teddy bear and a little red and yellow sailboat - and included his name in bold red letters. As a final touch, I had the picture framed in a matching blue frame and carefully wrapped it up for the journey abroad.
My friend received the package in the mail yesterday and sent me the most fabulous e-mail.
"We got the most wonderful package today!" she said, "I love your art... So touched by the picture."
I was absolutely thrilled by her reaction and so happy that I took the chance and made her gift. Handmade rocks!

A Little Something Sweet

2011-11-21T15:24:00.001+02:00

This young lady, illustrated above, is the same age as my eldest son and celebrates her birthday just a few days before him. Her Mum asks me to make her a card every year and this year proved no exception. In the past I have shown her reading and doing gymnastics. Mum told me that gymnastics was definitely still an important thing in her life but asked whether this time I could also add her younger brother, sister and the family cat into the picture.

The birthday girl has long dark hair and wears a white sparkly leotard when taking part in competitions. I was specifically asked to give her big white round hoop earrings. I know the younger brother and sister well, so it was easy to create their paper portraits, and the cat - described as short haired and grey, black and white - well, he wasn't quite right, but I hope his inclusion was appreciated all the same!

Another 11 year old recently received a card of mine too. The brief for this card was simpler. I was asked for something "girly" and figured that I couldn't go far wrong with nail polish, lipstick, hearts and flowers.

This request was for someone a little older than 11! The lady in question is apparently a keen golfer, so a golf club and ball fit the bill nicely. I prettified it a little with a few flowers and popped a bright yellow sun into the sky. I hope it helped to make 'Maureen's' day.

And whilst we're on the subject of sweet things for 11 year olds, I thought I'd show you the birthday cake I made for my son's recent sleepover celebration. He asked me for an '11' cake with green icing, a football theme and lots of sweets! Do you think I got it right? He also loves my chocolate chip muffins and wanted his friends to taste them too. A sugar-filled night was had by all!

The Book of Ruth

2011-11-17T12:42:00.005+02:00

I've just created a listing for my Customized Guest Book/Photo Album at a new online wedding marketplace called Shop Hatunot (Hatunot is the Hebrew word for Weddings). Uploading the photo of one of my wedding albums, it reminded me that I haven't yet shown you this album, made last month for a Bat Mitzvah girl called Ruth.

Ruth has beautiful dark curly hair, so that was my starting point for her 'portrait'. I think I may have gone a little overboard with the curls actually, but my customer seemed to like it! Like most teenagers, Ruth is a music fan and enjoys listening to her iPod, chatting on Facebook and reading Mizz magazine. Like my own son, she goes to NOAM (an acronym for No'ar Masorti, Masorti Youth), a Zionist youth movement. Fortunately I checked which shirt the kids wear when they meet and discovered that the shirts in the UK are blue, whilst here in Israel they wear green. Good job I asked!
I have shown the Bat Mitzvah girl busy with all her favourite activities. She is dancing along to the music she can hear on her iPod, whilst the laptop, with Facebook open, is not too far away. Along with the date of her Bat Mitzvah celebration and her name, I added the words בת מצוה, Bat Mitzvah in Hebrew.

Inside the album I decorated a number of pages along the same lines.The first page shows Ruth's favoured iPod again, along with a Star of David (known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David) to add a little Jewish content. I also created a Facebook page, a page showing her Youth movement badge, the preferred Mizz magazine and finally, a little portrait of the Bat Mitzvah girl once again. She obviously liked all the curls I gave her because it was reported back to me that Ruth loved her album!
If anyone is interested in ordering their very own guest book/album, there is a listing for one in my shop.

* The title of this post, The Book of Ruth, developed from my original title 'Ruth's Book'. The Book of Ruth (in Biblical Hebrew Megilath Ruth, "The Scroll of Ruth") is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. The name Ruth means friend or companion.

Playing Dreidel

2011-11-14T14:00:00.061+02:00

Welcome to the Etsy Greetings Team Holiday Traditions Blog Hop! The hop starts at the team blog, where you'll find a complete list of participating blogs. Start there or jump right in here! You'll find poignant stories, yummy recipes and great holiday printables. There's no time limit so feel free to browse our blogs - maybe you'll find a new tradition to start with your family!

Come December, whilst a large number of people the world over are preparing for the forthcoming Christmas holidays, those of us of the Jewish faith will be thinking about Chanukah. The eight day holiday, known as the Festival of Lights, celebrates one of the greatest miracles in Jewish history when Antiochus, a Syrian king, tried to make the Jewish people worship Greek gods. A statue of Antiochus was erected in the Jewish temple and the Jews were ordered to bow down before him. The Ten Commandments forbid Jews to worship statues or idols and so they refused.

A small group of Jews called Maccabees rebelled, and after a three year war they recaptured Jerusalem from the Greek Syrians. But the temple was all but destroyed.
The Jews had to clean and repair the Temple, and when they were finished they rededicated it to God. They did this by lighting the lamp (Menorah) - which was a symbol of God's presence. Only one small jar of oil was found, enough for one day, but miraculously the lamp stayed alight for eight days.

Today Chanukah is celebrated by lighting one candle on the Chanukiah (an eight-stemmed candelabrum). Each day an additional candle is lit. After lighting the candles it is traditional to give gifts. These handmade tags, used for illustrative purposes here, are perfect for popping on those Chanukah presents.
Because Chanukah celebrates the miracle of oil, it is also traditional to eat fried foods such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jam-filled doughnuts) during the holiday. However, the firm favourite in our home is the traditional game called dreidel (a Yiddish word that comes from the German word "drehen," which means “to turn.” In Hebrew the dreidel is called a sevivon).
The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a different Hebrew letter on each side. The four letters allude to the miracle of Chanukah. They spell out: Nes (נ-miracle), Gadol (ג-great), Haya (ה-happened) and Po (פ-here, meaning in Israel). Outside of Israel the letter ש-there, replaces the פ.

The Chanukah tradition of playing dreidel is not new. When the Jews were under the authority of the Greek Syrians, they were treated cruelly and were even prohibited to follow their own beliefs and customs. The study of Jewish Holy script - the Torah - was banned so they were forced to study in secret. The Rabbis used to take classes underground, posting some children outside to watch. To avoid the attention of the Greek Syrian soldiers, the children were told to play with the dreidel. Content that the Jews were following their orders and not studying the Torah, the Greek Syrians would go away.

In this game, an equal number of foil wrapped chocolate coins, sweets, nuts or raisins are distributed amongst the players and a small amount is put into a kitty. Each player is asked to spin the dreidel, which falls on one of the 4 letters. If it falls on the נ, it means ‘no win and no loss’. If you are lucky to have the dreidel fall on ג, you take away everything from the kitty. If your dreidel falls on ה, you can take half of the kitty. For those whose dreidel falls on פ or ש, they lose everything! The game ends when someone has won all of the tokens in the kitty.

My tags, used to illustrate this blog post, show the four sided spinning top with a different Hebrew letter on each side. I have added a Dove of Peace, a Chanukah candle, some Jerusalem buildings and a Magen David (Star of David) as decoration.
My kids often made their own dreidels when they were at nursery school, though I can't say that they spun so well! When the real game of dreidel is played, a spinning top made of plastic or wood is normally used, though there are silver or glass 'designer' dreidels available and even a platinum and diamond dreidel, priced at $1,800, is up for grabs. Perhaps you shouldn't let your kids play with that particular one!
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