Breaking news: Israel, EU reach deal to mutually recognize vaccine certificates and Visit to Tishbi winery 082221 and Unvaccinated COVID-19 patient's last words: 'I made a mistake' and The Pine Tree IS Indigenous to Israel and 2nd Temple Date seed produces a bumper crop of dates today and Succout begins Monday Evening, 20 September and ends in the evening of Monday, 27 September
Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher, and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money, and spiritual engagement.
Israel, EU reach deal to mutually recognize vaccine certificates
Deal will give vaccinated travelers access to Green Pass programs to enter public venues, but will not allow entry to countries like Portugal that currently ban Israelis
Tourists take pictures in front of Sagrada Familia Basilica designed by architect Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu)
Israel and the European Union reached an agreement on Wednesday to mutually recognize vaccine certificates, the Foreign Ministry announced, in a move that will allow travelers access to Green Pass programs.
The ministry said work on the agreement would be completed in early October and would give vaccinated Israeli tourists and business people access to the EU Green Pass, allowing entrance to "restaurants, cultural centers, public institutions and more."
It would also allow Israel to gear up to begin accepting tourists from Europe, the statement said. Furthermore, it will allow Israelis access to other countries' programs, should they join the initiative in the future.
However, the ministry cautioned that the program does not supersede entry requirements of individual EU nations, like Portugal and Sweden, which currently bar Israeli tourists. It also allows Israel to continue to bar entry to travelers from specific EU countries if it chooses.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid hailed the agreement as "an important step in laying the groundwork for a return to normal with regard to flight and tourism ties between Israel and the EU."
"I congratulate the teams at the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Health and the Israeli Embassy to the European Union in Brussels for this important achievement," he said.
Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz called it "a big step forward in our effort to ease the situation for the public and allow a routine life alongside the coronavirus."
Israeli travel to Europe has plummeted in recent weeks after the EU removed Israel from a list of nations deemed "epidemiologically safe," and Portugal and Sweden responded by slapping entry bans on Israelis for all but humanitarian and essential reasons.
Travel agents said many Israelis responded by canceling plans to travel, including to other EU nations, fearing that fresh restrictions could be imposed, disrupting travel.
Two other countries, France and Switzerland, have decided to bar non-vaccinated Israelis. Travelers from Israel and the US who are not inoculated against the coronavirus are now only permitted entry to France if they can prove an essential reason for making the trip and can present a negative test before traveling.
And they will need to quarantine for seven days upon arrival.
Switzerland said that as of Monday, Israel will be added to its list of "coronavirus risk countries" and unvaccinated Israelis can only enter the country in a case of "utmost necessity." Vaccinated Israelis will still be granted entry.
Holland is demanding that all Israelis arriving quarantine, which makes it an impractical destination for most leisure travelers.
"We were expecting to see lots of travel to Europe over the chagim season, but it's been stopped dead in its tracks," Mark Feldman, CEO of Ziontours, a large Jerusalem travel agency, told The Times of Israel, explaining that fear of broadening bans is affecting people more than the existing bans.
Feldman said that while only two European countries have barred all Israelis, it has shattered the confidence of travelers, who now fear that other countries will make sudden decisions to implement similar bans.
"We're trying to tell people that making plans, even for today and tomorrow, is next to impossible," he said.
The impact on business travel has been enormous, he reported. "Once the EU made its announcement, all [Israeli] businesses planning travel stopped Europe trips completely," Feldman said.
Frequent changes to Israel's quarantine regulations for returning travelers are also discouraging travel, Feldman said. The Health Ministry regularly revises rules applying to citizens who return from various countries, and this raises concerns that people will book expecting a quarantine-free return but this will change.
Sukkot 2021 will begin in the evening of Monday, 20 September and ends in the evening of Monday, 27 September
Sukkot is a week-long Jewish festival that falls shortly after Yom Kippur. Sukkot in Israel is a time of vacation – the first and last days are national holidays when most businesses will be closed (similar to a regular Shabbat), whilst the intermediary days are normal business days except for the fact that many Israelis take the time off work. The result is that there are loads of activities for Sukkot across Israel so it is a great time to be visiting. The Sukkot festival in 2021 falls between September 20 and September 27, although the events also take place slightly before and after these dates. Below is a selection of the events in Israel for Sukkot.
Important Note
After a tough year, hopefully, the festivals this year will be able to be celebrated as we wish. The events taking place this year will be updated once they are confirmed.
A Sukkah as you will find in streets across Israel, by RonAlmog, on Flickr
General Events during Sukkot in Israel
Building a Sukkah is an icon of Sukkot. This is a structure built outside in keeping with strict rules dictated by Jewish law. You will see sukkahs built in the yards or balconies of many homes during Sukkot in Israel across the country.
National parks, museums in Israel, beaches, and other heritage sites become incredibly busy for the period as Israelis take to the roads. Almost all major museums will put on special events for the holidays, whilst extra tours and facilities might be open at national parks and other heritage sites so don't be surprised by extra activities. It is a popular time to go hiking and biking.
Events during Sukkot in Israel
Sukkot in Israel is a time when many events take place across the country. We've broken down the events into regions – see highlights below and follow links for full event listings by region.
In Jerusalem
The etrog, a symbolic fruit used at Sukkot
Jerusalem is the center for events during Sukkot in Israel with some of the most interesting religious events.
>>To read more about these events and many more see our guide to Sukkot in Jerusalem
In Tel Aviv
In Tel Aviv, Sukkot is the end of beach season, and the city goes outdoors to make the most of the last glimpses of summer. Highlights include the annual biking festival culminating in the crosstown bike ride, the International Storytelling Festival, many exhibitions, and numerous concerts.
>>Read more about these events and more in our guide to Sukkot in Tel Aviv
In the Galilee, Haifa, and the North
The Galilee has many family-friendly events during Sukkot in Israel – with hot air balloon festivals and many many nature events. In Haifa, there are many special events for 2021 including street parties and music festivals (details here), as well as the annual Haifa Film Festival, takes place during the holiday, whilst it's a fascinating time to be in the religious city of Safed with all the Sukkot events in Safed.
Religious children collect materials for their Sukkah by yanec, on Flickr
The desert regions of Israel's south also have some great Sukkot events – music festivals including the Tamar Festival at the Dead Sea, hot air balloon festivals, and many opportunities for outdoor adventures.
The Three Musketeers at the Kotel
The Pine Tree IS Indigenous to Israel By Elder of Ziyon
Pine tres AREindigenous to Israel. Pictured is a pine in the Jerusalem area
The pine tree isindigenous to Israel – it is not a Western implant – and has been there for millennia
MK Ayman Odeh repeats a popular lie when he writes in Haaretz:
The pine tree was the main symbol of the new [Jewish National Fund]; it grows quickly and doesn't need much depth to strike roots. Like the British before it, the JNF chose the pine tree instead of expanding the natural Mediterranean woodland that grew in the Judean Hills. The pine looks nice, but it's a foreign implant in the local environment and endangers it because it's especially flammable in our dry, hot climate.
The Survey of Western Palestine, Special Papers on Topography, Archaeology, Manners and Customs, Etc · Volume 4, By Palestine Exploration Fund · 1881, quotes a 7th century observer of large pine forests in the center of the land of Israel:
From Underground Jerusalem:An Account of Some of the Principal Difficulties Encountered in Its Exploration and the Results Obtained. With a Narrative of an Expedition Through the Jordan Valley and a Visit to the Samaritans, by Sir Charles Warren, 1876:
The people who claim that the pine tree is a recent import also tend to think that Jews themselves were only recently introduced to the region. They are equally wrong in both assertions.
Unvaccinated COVID-19 patient's last words: 'I made a mistake'
'We see a significant difference between the vaccinated and unvaccinated,' coronavirus ward nurse says.
Miri Shem-Ad and Mayson Macalda from Beilinson Hospital are frustrated when they see yet another person who did not receive the coronavirus vaccine arrive for hospitalization, knowing that it could have been prevented.
Speaking to N12, Miri said: "A postpartum woman arrived in the ward from the ICU. She was not vaccinated and her husband was not vaccinated. She told me, 'It's like they tricked us. They tricked us.' They would watch all these video clips and they really believed that they were doing something right."
"We see a significant difference between those who are vaccinated and those who are unvaccinated," she emphasized.
"Just this morning, a 49-year-old young man, clear-headed, independent, employed, married, a father of two children. He's a healthy man. He's a strong man. He didn't get vaccinated due to his personal choice. And this morning his body betrayed him. He couldn't breathe anymore.
"He couldn't talk to us anymore. Two minutes before he put him on a ventilator, we had a very short conversation with him, in order to receive his consent.
"He said, 'I made a mistake.' He understands that, but unfortunately it's too late."
In a Facebook post earlier this week, Macalda wrote: "We are nearing the peak of a fourth wave. Again we go down to the parking lot. We set up wards again. We work under cumbersome protective conditions. We refuse to get used to it, despite the waves which have passed."
"Again we meet the families in their most extreme situations, but this time we add another detail. We ask the fateful question: Are you vaccinated? Is the patient vaccinated? And by the answer, we already know what to expect."
"Go get vaccinated," Macalda concluded her post. "Help yourselves...and us.
Tishbi winery 082221
In 1882, Michael and Malka Chamiletzki took their first steps in Zichron Yaakov after emigrating from Lithuania. Michael was chosen by Baron Rothschild to plant vineyards in the region, and the harmonious and deep relationship between the family, the land, and the vineyard began from that day on. The family settled in nearby Shefaya, now surrounded by vineyards, and began to cultivate the land and grow vines. In 1925, the family hosted poet Chaim Nahman Bialik. To thank them for their warm hospitality, he suggested they adopt the name "Tishbi" – the acronym of Toshav Shefaya B'Eretz-Israel (resident of Shefaya in the Land of Israel).
In 1984, the Israeli wine industry experienced a crisis, and the price of grapes slumped. Moreover, no winery was willing to purchase large quantities of grapes. At that time, the market was flooded with Muscat grapes – a variety which made up the lion's share of the family's produce. Following the crisis, I decided to leave the Carmel Mizrahi cooperative and open my own small winery. Tending vineyards and producing wine myself seemed the natural thing to do at the time. Initially, the winery was called the Baron Wine Cellars after Baron Rothschild, but we later changed the name to our family name – the Tishbi Winery.
Today all the members of our family work in the winery. My wife, Nili, runs the winery store and Visitors Center. My son, Golan, is the winemaker and Vice President. Golan grew up with the winery, and the winery grew thanks to him. When we decided to establish a distillery here, he traveled to Cognac in France, studied the "alembic" distilling method, and implemented it for producing brandy aged in oak barrels. Thanks to our brandy, we are held in high esteem in Israel and overseas and were awarded the title of World's Best Brandy in the IWSC contest inLondon. My daughter, Oshra, traveled the world and developed our international market, established our cafe and wine store in the center of Zichron Yaakov, and created her gourmet line of products, "Fine Foods by Oshra Tishbi". My oldest son, Michael, who is a lawyer by profession, is also involved in cultivating the family's vineyards. Our family's shared efforts and dedication create the perfect balance in the winery between professionalism and family warmth.
In 2010, the winery began to import the premium chocolate brand, Valrhona, from France, and enter the professional chocolate and baking worlds. At the same time, a bakery with a Le Panyol oven, also brought from France, was built on the site. Likewise, the winery imports the Cruzilles and Sosa brands, producers of gourmet professional baking products.
Since then the winery has grown and developed, and now produces around one million bottles a year. The winery also has a restaurant and the BBQ Garage, as well as a Visitors Center which offers tours of the winery and vineyards along with wine and chocolate tastings.
Yonatan Tishbi
Temple era palms produce a miraculous crop of dates
Israeli palm trees producing dates. These Dates are the fruit of a decades-long project to germinate ancient seeds from the Second Temple Era discovered beneath the rubble during excavations of Masada.
'A second crop of dates from palm trees grown from 2,000 year old seeds has been harvested' =the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies at Kibbutz Ketura.
Last year, one of the palms, named Hannah, bore 111 dates. This year the crop is even larger, with researchers expecting to be able to sell some of the dates to visitors of their research center. The dates are the fruit of a decades-long project to germinate ancient seeds from the Second Temple era discovered beneath the rubble during excavations of Masada by renowned Israeli archaeologist Yigal Yadin during the 1960s.
After the seeds had lain in storage for decades, Dr. Elaine Solowey, director of the Center for Sustainable Agriculture at the Arava Institute & Dr. Sarah Sallon, director of the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center of Hadassah Hospital, initiated a project to germinate them, in an effort to reintroduce extinct plants that had previously grown in the region. The seeds are believed to be between 1,800 - 2,400 years old. The project resulted in the germination in 2005 of Methuselah, the oldest ever seed successfully germinated. That success was replicated with the germination of six more ancient date palms – Adam, Boaz, Hannah, Yonah, Yehudit & Uriel – from a pool of 32 seeds found in sites of Masada & Qumran. Having two female trees among the group allowed the researchers to pollinate the trees.
"It's very exciting to taste the dates and see such a large and significant amount of fruit because we had no guarantees that we would get a fruit-bearing female tree," Dr Solowey said. "So it looks like a miracle on several levels – seeds from archeological digs sprouted successfully, & against all odds, female trees sprouted among them. We are excited to revive an ancient variety of dates."
Following a ceremony in a grove outside the Arava Institute, some of the participants tasted the fruit, which look similar to Medjool dates but are said to be much sweeter, with a taste reminiscent of honey.
The groundbreaking project, which has drawn international acclaim, is designed to track the origins of ancient palm tree populations, according to Dr Solowey. The researchers hope to learn about ancient farming techniques, speculating that the Judean strain created in Israel was a hybrid between Arabian Peninsula & North African date palms.
See you tomorrow bli neder
Succout start Monday night. G-d willing I will be visiting Miriam's parents in Czech
